I recently co-authored an expert analysis in Foreign Policy examining what may be the most significant security breach in U.S. government history.

The U.S. government has experienced what may be the most consequential security breach in its history.

In the span of just weeks, the U.S. government has experienced what may be the most consequential security breach in its history—not through a sophisticated cyberattack or an act of foreign espionage, but through official orders by a billionaire with a poorly defined government role. And the implications for national security are profound.

At the heart of this breach lies a troubling paradox: entry-level programmers, including the notably unprofessional “Big Balls” team, gained physical access to critical government systems despite having minimal understanding of federal operations or financial infrastructure. Their actions, masked behind a veneer of “efficiency” improvements, suggest a concerning pattern of rapid data extraction, likely intended for integration with unregulated AI systems.

The credibility of DOGE’s claims deserves particular scrutiny, especially given their connection to Grok, Elon Musk’s AI system, which has demonstrated a pattern of spreading lies, lies and more lies. A particularly alarming precedent emerged in April 2024, when Musk’s platform, known for amplifying Russian-aligned narratives, promoted disinformation about Iranian missile strikes in Israel.

When similar events actually occurred months later in October, causing significant damage, it raised disturbing questions about the relationship between seeding disinformation campaigns and causing subsequent real-world events.

Iranian missile barrage caused NIS 150m to NIS 200m in damage to property: Since the October 1 attack, about 2,500 compensation claims have been submitted for damage to buildings, vehicles, and contents, according to Israel Tax Authority data

This pattern suggests a more sinister possibility: DOGE’s current flood of claims about U.S. government operations may be testing public reaction to planned future actions. The risk here is not just about data theft, but about the potential manufacturing or manipulation of evidence to create predetermined narratives that could significantly damage American interests.

The contemporary threat landscape requires us to examine these connections between social media manipulation, AI systems, and national security with renewed vigilance. The DOGE attacks represent not just a technical breach, but a potential blueprint for how modern information warfare can be conducted under the false guise of technological innovation.